United Nations:
The UN Security Council on Friday approved a limited bid to boost humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and take immediate steps “to create the conditions for a permanent cessation of hostilities” after a week-long voting delay and intense negotiations. Called for. Vetoed by the United States.
Amid global outrage over the rising death toll in Gaza in the 11-week war between Israel and Hamas and the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, the US has refused to allow the 15-member council to adopt a resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates. Avoided.
The remaining Council members voted in favor of the resolution, except Russia, which abstained.
After high-level negotiations to win over Washington, the proposal no longer reduces Israel’s control over all aid delivery to the 2.3 million people in Gaza. Israel monitors limited aid deliveries from Egypt to Gaza through the Rafah crossing and the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing.
Read more: Israel increases attacks on Gaza; Hamas fired rockets amid ceasefire talks
But the weakening of the language on an end to hostilities has frustrated many council members – including veto-wielding Russia – and Organization of Arab and Islamic Cooperation states, some of whom, diplomats said, would consider it a threat to lethal action against Hamas. See this as Israel’s approval. 7 October attack.
The adopted resolution “calls for immediate steps to be taken to allow safe, unimpeded and expanded humanitarian access and to create conditions for a permanent cessation of hostilities.” The initial draft called for an “immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities” to allow aid access.
“By signing this, the Council will essentially give Israeli armed forces full freedom of movement to further clear the Gaza Strip,” Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia told the council before the vote.
Russia proposed that the draft be amended so that the initial text called for “an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities”. The amendment was vetoed by the United States. 10 votes were cast in its favor, while four members remained absent.
Also read: Gaza children starving as war hampers food distribution
Earlier this month the 193-member UN General Assembly called for a humanitarian ceasefire, with 153 states voting in favor of the move, which was vetoed by the United States in the Security Council days earlier.
The US and Israel oppose the ceasefire, believing it would only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supports a halt to the fighting in order to free civilians and hostages held by Hamas.
support monitoring
Last month the United States urged the Security Council to refrain from authorizing an immediate and extended humanitarian pause in the fighting for a “substantial number of days” to allow aid access. The move was taken after four failed attempts to take action.
Washington traditionally protects its ally Israel from UN action and has already vetoed Security Council action twice since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters, which Israel says killed 1,200 people. And 240 people were taken hostage.
Israel has retaliated against Hamas by conducting aerial bombardments, sieges and launching ground attacks on Gaza. According to health officials in Hamas-ruled Gaza, about 20,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Most people in Gaza have been driven from their homes and UN officials have warned of a humanitarian catastrophe. The World Food Program says half of Gaza’s population is starving and only 10% of needed food has entered Gaza since October 7.
A key issue during negotiations on the resolution adopted on Friday was a preliminary proposal for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to set up a mechanism to monitor aid from countries not involved in the war in Gaza.
A softer compromise was instead asked to ask Guterres to appoint a senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator to set up a UN mechanism to accelerate aid to Gaza through states that are not party to the conflict.
The coordinator will also be responsible for “facilitating, coordinating, monitoring and verifying, in line with the humanitarian nature” of all assistance in Gaza.
The Council also called on the warring parties to “abide by international humanitarian law and … condemn all attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as all violence and hostilities against civilians, and all acts of terrorism.”
